Dracaena plant named ‘Scarlet Ibis’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Dracaena  plant named ‘Scarlet Ibis’, characterized by its upright plant habit with foliage initially erect to somewhat outwardly arching; moderately vigorous growth habit; long lanceolate leaves that are dark red and dark greyed purple in color; and good keeping quality and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Dracaena concinna.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SCARLET IBIS’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Dracaena plant, botanically known as Dracaena concinna and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Scarlet Ibis’.

The new Dracaena plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Dracaena concinna ‘Rainbow’, not patented. The new Dracaena plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor from within a population of plants of ‘Rainbow’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Otsutsumi, Ibaraki-prefecture, Japan in March, 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new Dracaena plant by cuttings in Otsutsumi, Ibaraki-prefecture, Japan since March, 1999 has shown that the unique features of this new Dracaena plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Dracaena have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and various cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Scarlet Ibis’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Scarlet Ibis’ as a new and distinct Dracaena plant:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit with foliage initially erect to somewhat         outwardly arching.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Long lanceolate leaves that are dark red and dark greyed         purple in color.     -   4. Good keeping quality and garden performance.

Plants of the new Dracaena differ from plants of the parent, ‘Rainbow’, primarily in leaf color as plants of ‘Rainbow’ have red and greyed orange variegated leaves.

Plants of the new Dracaena can be compared to plants of the Dracaena concinna ‘Bicolor’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Otsutsumi, Ibaraki-prefecture, Japan, plants of the new Dracaena differed primarily from plants of the ‘Bicolor’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dracaena had longer leaves than plants of         ‘Bicolor’.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Dracaena and ‘Bicolor’ differed         in color as plants of ‘Bicolor’ had pale green-colored leaves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Dracaena plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Dracaena plant. The photograph comprises side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Scarlet Ibis’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring in 15-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Koga-shi, Ibaraki-prefecture, Japan and under environmental conditions and cultural practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Dracaena plant production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 14.5° C. and night temperatures averaged 10° C. Plants were ten months old when the photographs and the botanical description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Dracaena concinna ‘Scarlet Ibis’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Dracaena     concinna ‘Rainbow’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 15 days at soil             temperatures of about 28° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 30 days at soil             temperatures of about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 20 days             at soil temperatures of about 28° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 40 days             at soil temperatures of about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fibrous; creamy white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright plant habit with foliage             initially erect to somewhat outwardly arching; narrow             inverted triangle; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 45.8 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 42.2 cm.         -   Internode length.—About 6.7 mm.         -   Stem color.—Close to 148C.         -   Stem strength.—Strong. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Orientation.—Initially erect to somewhat outwardly arching.         -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 32 cm.         -   Width.—About 1 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Parallel.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             137B; stripes and spots, close to 149D. Fully expanded             leaves, upper surface: Close to 53B; stripes and spots,             close to 187B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 142A; stripes and spots, close to 187B. Venation, upper             and lower surfaces: Similar to surface coloration. -   Flower description: Flower initiation and development has not been     observed on plants of the new Dracaena. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Dracaena have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Dracaena. -   Keeping quality: Excellent keeping quality; plants of the new     Dracaena are durable and will maintain good leaf substance     indefinitely. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Dracaena have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to 35° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Dracaena plant named ‘Scarlet Ibis’ as illustrated and described. 